The Hidden Resilience of Food Desert Neighborhoods

Introduction

• Anthropologists are studying urban communities struggling with nutrition.
• Discovering limits and power of self-reliance in these neighborhoods.

Case Study: Deanwood, Washington D.C.

• Alice Chandler, a resident since childhood, offers historical insights.
• Past community: home delivery of meat, fish, and vegetables; backyard gardens.
• Community sharing: neighbors traded garden produce and fish catches.
• Historical grocery presence: 11 stores, mix of African-American and Jewish owners.

Current Situation

• Deanwood now lacks grocery stores; relies on corner stores with limited fresh produce.
• Nearest supermarket is a distant Safeway with poor conditions.
• USDA defines such areas as "food deserts" with limited healthy food access.

Critique of "Food Desert" Term

• Ashant Reese challenges the "food desert" model as oversimplified.
• Her book "Black Food Geographies" critiques this model and explores deeper causes.
• Reese emphasizes community resilience and networks overlooked by the term.

Reese's Background and Research

• Raised in Texas with communal food practices.
• Inspired by students' experiences with unequal food access.
• Studies Deanwood's food geography for insights into dietary impacts.

Historical Context

• "Food desert" term originated in the UK; adopted in the US.
• Policies emphasized building supermarkets as solutions.
• Critiques suggest this approach fails to address deeper issues like poverty and racism.

Structural Inequality

• Economic and geographic factors affect food access.
• Historical segregation influences retail presence and food availability.
• Solutions need to address broader socio-economic disparities.

Community Self-reliance

• Deanwood residents employ various strategies for food access.
• Community gardens and shared resources illustrate resilience.
• Critique of the "food desert" term for ignoring these communal efforts.

Limitations of Self-reliance

• Local initiatives often insufficient for community-wide needs.
• Historical and ongoing disinvestment in African-American communities.

Conclusion

• Urban food issues linked to broader societal inequalities.
• The need for systemic change alongside community efforts.
• Deanwood exemplifies both challenges and resilience of food-insecure neighborhoods.